Start school, start starving

By now you should've heard all about the fuss and protests and criticism and hunger strike that's been going on since the weekend in Hong Kong. If you haven't, then you probably live in a hole. Or in North Korea. Or China because your local media would've banned this sort of news.

In case you do live in a hole/China/N.Korea, here's what's been happening - basically the HK Government has been trying to enforce "Moral and National Education" as a compulsory subject for all local schools in this former British Colony, starting with primary school this year.

As you would've guessed, HK-ers, being extra-sensitive about anything that sounds remotely pro-Beijing (and rightly so) are rather quite miffed about these attempts to "brainwash" the next generation, and 8000-41000 or so people (depending on who you ask) took to the streets in protest, ending up in front of the government offices on Saturday, waving banners and chanting slogans and stopped eating.

Why the fuss, you say? It's all in the books. Sources say that "teaching materials proposed compares the Chinese system with Western democracy, and suggests a one party system aids consensus while a multi-party system leads to bickering" (Source: CNN). The teaching manual also "called the Communist Party an 'advanced, selfless and united ruling group', while denouncing Democratic and Republican Parties of the United States as a "fierce inter-party rivalry [that] makes the people suffer"" (Source: Wikipedia, shamefully)

Apparently the only two other countries that enforces "patriotism" classes are China and some other country, probably North Korea.

How long will this last? This will depend on who lasts longer - the government, whose every minute of delay is just digging a bigger hole for itself to climb out of; or the people, whose every minute of hunger strike is digging themselves a bigger craving for dim sums and fizzy drinks.

[edit]
Another good article on the issue http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/12303/in-recent-curbs-hong-kong-protesters-see-chinas-hand#.UEhMLdlYw0Y.twitter